Roasted Mackerel with Garlic and Paprika

I don't know why some people don't like mackerel and why it's not more widely served in the States. It's such a lovely fish, cheap and plentiful, and, served with this gently Spanish vinaigrette, an absolute winner. Make sure you dress the potatoes while they are still warm as they'll take on the dressing much better.

Preparation

2. Put the garlic and paprika into a mortar, add the salt, and pound to a smooth paste. Add a few drops of olive oil, then rub the flesh side of the mackerel fillets with the paste and set aside.

3. Make the vinaigrette. Put all the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay the mackerel fillets skin side up on the paper and season the skin with sea salt. Roast for 8-10 minutes until the skin is crisp and the fish is cooked through. Remove from the oven and leave to rest.

5. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in a large pan of salted water for about 15 minutes until tender, then drain. Return to the pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Crush lightly with the back of a fork, then add the scallions and stir to combine. Season with salt, then add a couple of tablespoons of the vinaigrette.

6. Serve the crushed potatoes topped with the mackerel and a drizzle of the remaining vinaigrette.

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Reviews

Delicious! I'm not a fan of fishy fish, but we caught some fresh mackerel that we needed to cook for dinner. Followed the recipe exactly as written and added an extra side of rocket (arugula) with shaved parmesan and lemon infused extra virgin olive oil which complemented nicely.

Unexpectedly good dish -- as noted by others, easy and flavorful. Even showy. I cooked while taking an unexpected call - it's that simple. Used some lentils (French; 1/3) and quinoa (2/3) as the base instead of potatoes. Cut lemons as garnish laid on top but found they really added to each bite. Drooped arugula over as well to add color and bite, then a hit of hot sauce. Very nice.

Fabulous recipe! Took the mackerel we caught earlier out of the freezer, so was not sure if it would be fishy. This recipe really enhanced the flavor of the fish and it was lovely. My spouse raved about it, and wanted to go right out and catch some more mackerel to have it again! Also, the potatoes were delicious and it was just the right amount of vinaigrette sauce.

Yummy. I used a whole mackerel, which I cooked for about 20 minutes (and then left in the turned-off oven for a while while the (large) potatoes cooked and I made a time-consuming kale salad). I rubbed the garlic-paprika paste in the fish's belly and also into slits cut into the sides. I did pretty much everything else as specified. My husband was very impressed with the dish, and I loved it as well.

I hadn't had mackerel before, but with the crazy run at the supermarket leading up to our mega-snowstorm, Whole Foods sold out of salmon. I took a chance on the mackerel and checked this site for options and used this recipe. The mustard vinaigrette was great - on the fish and the potatoes and quinoa. And the mackerel was a non-oily tasty fish - now I'll know to use it as another option along with my usual salmon and halibut. The paprika rub livened it up!

A lovely, fresh meal, perfect for even an English summer! We had it with a lovely round lettuce salad, but asparagus sounds good too. When GR cooks it, he uses 4 fillets of mackerel, so I would agree that 8 is too much.

This recipe is just right for a genuine taste of Spain! I used a smoked paprika in the paste. While the fish was in the oven I put a broiling pan of asparagus spears dressed with olive oil and salt and pepper alongside it. The plates looked great with fish and potatoes separated by the perfectly cooked asparagus and the sauce drizzled over all.

I have never had mackerel before except salty Korean style. If you do not like oily, fishy tasting fish, then you would not like mackerel. I agree with TX that the recipe could use more vinaigrette for drizzling and also in the potatoes. I did find that a good amount of salt was needed to bring out the flavor of the fish. Maybe I just prefer my mackerel salty! Scallions were a delicious addition. I love the combination of garlic and paprika and have used that in the past on other fish. I'm eating leftovers today cold and I bet it will taste even better.

I had never cooked mackerel before and I vaguely remember tasting it before, so I was looking for an easy recipe that was flavorful. The dish was both. Preparation time was fast and I recommend you start the potatoes first as that will take most of the time. I only had three mackerel fillets not eight, and it worked out well because no way would the 'paste' or the vinaigrette have covered eight fillets, it barely covered three. I would recommend that you at least double the ingredients for paprika/garlic paste and the vinaigrette. I had saffron so I used it (a pinch) but I could not taste this aromatic and expensive spice in the vinaigrette. The color became a dark yellow. Instead of olive oil in the vinaigrette, I used toasted sesame seed oil and replaced the scallions with chives. If I make this a second time, I would remove the skeleton bones before cooking. This bone doesn't allow the paste to soak into the flesh.